Wake County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wake County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in North Carolina
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B
Income Around averageWealthiest county in North Carolina
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wake County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,178,613 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1374.8 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.15% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 460,161 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wake County grew by 42.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,178,613 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wake County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.8% of residents. That is 3.4 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 259,913 22.1% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 292,716 24.8% +3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 253,127 21.5% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 142,786 12.1% -4.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Wake County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.8% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wake County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wake County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Wake County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $105,784 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.17% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wake County is about 46% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Wake County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $429,483 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,622 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.1% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wake County is about 22.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,622 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wake County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 191 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wake County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.9 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.8 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 191 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,914 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 29.1% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,064 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,850 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Wake County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Wake County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Wake County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.8% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Wake County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Wake County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.6% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.7% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Wake County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Wake County, NC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,178,613 residents against a local median of 139,132. Wake County, NC's median home price, at $429,483, runs 76% above the $243,547 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $105,784 against a local median of $74,339, 42% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Wake County, NC is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread $179,277 on median home price, so Wake County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wake County, NC has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County, NC | 1,178,613 | $105,784 #1/6 | $429,483 #1/6 | 22.9 min #2/6 |
| Durham County, NC | 331,707 | $84,826 | $290,354 | 20.6 min |
| Johnston County, NC | 234,262 | $84,644 | $243,547 | 31.1 min |
| Franklin County, NC | 74,421 | $74,339 | $292,591 | 32.3 min |
| Harnett County, NC | 139,132 | $71,432 | $173,335 | 30.6 min |
| Granville County, NC | 60,874 | $71,064 | $113,314 | 30.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wake County, North Carolina.
How many people live in Wake County, North Carolina?
About 1,178,613 people live in Wake County, North Carolina, in 460,161 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wake County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wake County, North Carolina has 1,375 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 16 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wake County, North Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($429,483 against $105,784), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,622 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Wake County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Wake County, North Carolina is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Wake County, North Carolina?
51.8% of adults in Wake County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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